+ Genesis 1 >

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
In the bigynnyng God made of nouyt heuene and erthe.
2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Forsothe the erthe was idel and voide, and derknessis weren on the face of depthe; and the Spiryt of the Lord was borun on the watris.
3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God seide, Liyt be maad, and liyt was maad.
4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
And God seiy the liyt, that it was good, and he departide the liyt fro derknessis,
5 God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.
and he clepide the liyt, dai, and the derknessis, nyyt. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, o daie.
6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
And God seide, The firmament be maad in the myddis of watris, and departe watris fro watris.
7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
And God made the firmament, and departide the watris that weren vndur the firmament fro these watris that weren on the firmament; and it was don so.
8 God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
And God clepide the firmament, heuene. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the secounde dai.
9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so.
Forsothe God seide, The watris, that ben vndur heuene, be gaderid in to o place, and a drie place appere; and it was doon so.
10 God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.
And God clepide the drie place, erthe; and he clepide the gadryngis togidere of watris, the sees. And God seiy that it was good;
11 God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so.
and seide, The erthe brynge forth greene eerbe and makynge seed, and appil tre makynge fruyt bi his kynde, whos seed be in it silf on erthe; and it was doon so.
12 The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
And the erthe brouyte forth greene erbe and makynge seed bi his kynde, and a tre makynge fruyt, and ech hauynge seed by his kynde. And God seiy that it was good.
13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the thridde dai.
14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
Forsothe God seide, Liytis be maad in the firmament of heuene, and departe tho the dai and niyt; and be tho in to signes, and tymes, and daies, and yeeris;
15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so.
and shyne tho in the firmament of heuene, and liytne tho the erthe; and it was doon so.
16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
And God made twei grete liytis, the gretter liyt that it schulde be bifore to the dai, and the lesse liyt that it schulde be bifore to the niyt;
17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,
and God made sterris; and settide tho in the firmament of heuene, that tho schulden schyne on erthe,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
and that tho schulden be bifore to the dai and nyyt, and schulden departe liyt and derknesse. And God seiy that it was good.
19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
And the euentid and the morwetid was maad, the fourthe dai.
20 God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
Also God seide, The watris brynge forth a `crepynge beeste of lyuynge soule, and a brid fleynge aboue erthe vndur the firmament of heuene.
21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
And God made of nouyt grete whallis, and ech lyuynge soule and mouable, whiche the watris han brouyt forth in to her kyndis; and God made of nouyt ech volatile bi his kynde. And God seiy that it was good;
22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
and blesside hem, and seide, Wexe ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the watris of the see, and briddis be multiplied on erthe.
23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
And the euentid and the morwetid was maad, the fyuethe dai.
24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so.
And God seide, The erthe brynge forth a lyuynge soul in his kynde, werk beestis, and `crepynge beestis, and vnresonable beestis of erthe, bi her kyndis; and it was don so.
25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
And God made vnresonable beestis of erthe bi her kyndes, and werk beestis, `and ech crepynge beeste of erthe in his kynde. And God seiy that it was good; and seide,
26 God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Make we man to oure ymage and liknesse, and be he souereyn to the fischis of the see, and to the volatilis of heuene, and to vnresonable beestis of erthe, and to ech creature, and to ech `crepynge beest, which is moued in erthe.
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
And God made of nouyt a man to his ymage and liknesse; God made of nouyt a man, to the ymage of God; God made of nouyt hem, male and female.
28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
And God blesside hem, and seide, Encreesse ye, and be ye multiplied, and fille ye the erthe, and make ye it suget, and be ye lordis to fischis of the see, and to volatilis of heuene, and to alle lyuynge beestis that ben moued on erthe.
29 God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
And God seide, Lo! Y haue youe to you ech eerbe berynge seed on erthe, and alle trees that han in hem silf the seed of her kynde, that tho be in to mete to you;
30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.
and to alle lyuynge beestis of erthe, and to ech brid of heuene, and to alle thingis that ben moued in erthe, and in whiche is a lyuynge soule, that tho haue to ete; and it was doon so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
And God seiy alle thingis whiche he made, and tho weren ful goode. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the sixte day.

+ Genesis 1 >